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Liverpool are linked with Alexandre Pato, but they should really sign Gabriel Barbosa

Liverpool are linked with one Brazilian striker, but they should be targeting a different one.

The Independent reported earlier this month that Liverpool have an agreement in place to sign Corinthians striker Alexandre Pato in January.

Pato, formerly of AC Milan, is currently on loan at Sao Paulo, and has netted nine goals in 28 league games this year. He looks to be back to top form, and although he previously struggled in Europe, Liverpool signing him looks to be a calculated risk,

However, if the Reds want to bring in a Brazilian striker, they should be looking at a different forward ahead of the January transfer window.

Gabriel Barbosa, 19, currently plays for Santos, and he is going someway to living up to his tag as the ‘New Neymar’. Able to play anywhere across the front three, Gabriel has netted eight goals in 26 games this term, a record comparable with Pato’s.

He is younger, more technically gifted, and seemingly has an unlimited amount of potential he could live up to. Considering Gabriel’s abilities, it is a surprise that few clubs have been linked with trying to sign him, and Liverpool should get ahead of the curve and move for him as soon as possible.

Billy Hawkins

Billy is a freelance writer who contributes to various sites concerning football. Known to possess an obsession with statistics, Eastern European club sides, and Victorian football, he focuses upon the untapped potential of the Football League in the belief it is more enjoyable than the Premier League.